1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a breast anatomy imaging system, and more particularly to a breast anatomy imaging system using a handheld optical imaging device combined with a position tracking system.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Presurgical chemotherapy is a treatment commonly used for locally advanced breast cancer. The patient's response to the presurgical chemotherapy is monitored to improve survival and reduce morbidity. A noninvasive, near-infrared technology based on diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) has been developed to quantitatively monitor tumor response to the presurgical chemotherapy. The quantitative, near-infrared diffuse optical spectroscopy is capable of distinguishing between tumor and surrounding breast tissues. Thus, diffuse optical spectroscopy is used to monitor tumor response in a patient with locally advanced cancer throughout the course of the therapy.
Diffuse optical spectroscopy uses near-infrared (NIR) light at a specific laser diode wavelength and a broadband steady-state (SS) measurement to quantitatively measure optical properties in tissues. Optical properties such as absorption and scattering parameters derived from the diffuse optical spectroscopy measurement have been used to determine, for example, tissue hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, water content, fat content and cellular structure.
Portable and noninvasive optical probes are used in connection with the diffuse optical spectroscopy. However, a limitation of conventional technologies using the optical probes is the inability to accurately track the position of the optical probe as measurements are recorded. In particular, consistently returning to the same location on the tumor from treatment to treatment is important because variations in contact positions may cause variations in measured optical properties. A pen-marked predefined grid can be used to better locate contact positions.